


After All This Time

by abovetheskies



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), game of thrones
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Battle for the Iron Throne, F/F, F/M, Family, Friendship, Game of Thrones - Freeform, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, More tags to come later, Multi, Other, Political Alliances, Season 7 Spoilers, and the White Walkers, so are the dragons, winter is coming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-09 09:43:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11666592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abovetheskies/pseuds/abovetheskies
Summary: The Seven Kingdoms remain under a time of political stress. Cersei Lannister, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, has drawn first blood in the battle for the Iron Throne. Highgarden has all but fallen, and while two opposing armies are on the move, the fate of Casterly Rock remains uncertain. As Daenerys Targaryen rallies her remaining forces and continues negotiations with the King in the North, the rest of Westeros must decide their allegiances. All the while, the Army of the Dead is approaching, and someone in the Seven Kingdoms has to turn the tables.





	1. Highgarden

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING! This story contains SPOILERS for the new episodes of Game of Thrones, Season 7 - PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION. It also contains some degree of canon divergence, so events may not follow the books or show specifically (though certain events from Season 7 may yet appear as the episodes air)!
> 
> After watching the latest episode last night, my best friend and I were talking about it and things we wished were happening in the series- as a result, a lightbulb flicked on and, alas- a plot twist has surfaced! This story will be what could have happened, if certain things had gone differently :)

"Let me get this straight. You marched your entire army all this way to Highgarden to pour a vial of _harmless_ red wine and share a drink with me?" Under normal circumstances Olenna Tyrell's words might have seemed defiant, but no indignance laced her tone as she allowed none other than Jaime Lannister to lead her through the hidden underground passage she had directed him to only moments before

"Well, even a drink of wine isn't harmless, despite what most men claim," came Jaime's answer, quiet and easy as he held his torch aloft, illuminating the rocky walls with as much practice as he'd received doing so below the Red Keep in King's Landing. The absence of footsteps meant that thus far none of his men had come this way, and his penultimate action in the seat of the Golden Rose so far went undiscovered.

Despite misguided preconceptions about her age, Olenna adequately kept up with the younger Lannister's pace, maintaining a subtle grip on her skirts as she followed him into the antechamber, coming to a stop once more; the suspicion never quite left her gaze, and the raised eyebrow she presented to the man told him just that.

"And what happened to the real poison, might I ask? You didn't come this far unprepared."

Replacing the blazing torch into an empty sconce, Jaime gave away little of his inner emotions as he turned to face the elder Tyrell, not even hesitating to convey to her his answer. "No one will tell Cersei of what happened," he said simply, making his way over to the single barred door at the end of the dimly lit pathway, pausing for a moment to make sure no one was outside before continuing with his task.

Alongside the other deceased men of the Unsullied and Lannister armies lay the still form of the soldier who had been listening outside the room whilst Jaime and Olenna had been conversing. The former knew such was bound to occur, his sister being untrusting as she was. The man had fled down the stairs immediately after his startling discovery, making his way down onto the ground floor before inconspicuously collapsing.

_No one will tell Cersei what I've done._

So Lannisters could offer her surprise after all.

The destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor had been the last such event- nowadays, nothing could catch Lady Tyrell unawares or escape her imagination, perhaps save this. But still a considerable amount of doubt remained, not to having an apparent means of escape but towards who, and why, was currently in charge of orchestrating it.

"So you slaughter our men using your own, you take our resources and our gold for your own use- what _exactly_ is the point of keeping me alive when there are no more Tyrells for the Lannisters to murder? And where in the name of the Gods do you think you'll be able to take me?" Sounds of marching footsteps and the clattering of metal armour came from the main courtyards- Jaime's men were about to discover the lower supply stores, and Olenna's retort lowered to a mere low whisper that held no less venom.

"You have allies in Dragonstone. You have allies with House Martell and you may have others in the East, ones that will remain in danger the longer they stay in King's Landing," Jaime replied quietly as they stealthily made their way towards the largest cargo transport he had brought along with him. "If you would rather make your way elsewhere with one of them, I will not prevent it. But until we have made camp away from Highgarden, your safest option is with me." Another page he had taken out of Robb Stark's book- if he had wanted Olenna Tyrell dead, then she would be.

Instead, he was about to smuggle his would-have-been target out of Highgarden, directly defying orders from his Queen sister. It would be a long journey- uncomfortable for hours yet and much too quiet, but the cover of nightfall would soon allow the disguise he had in mind to pass by relatively easily as long as neither of them spoke a word on the matter.

Seeing no other choice but death, Olenna nodded before following once again, a bag of provisions slung over her shoulder as she prepared to leave her home once more. There were many options, each with as much to consider as the next. She could head south towards Dorne- perhaps there would offer temporary refuge- or north towards Casterly Rock, which was currently occupied by Daenerys' loyal Unsullied- or she could risk traveling towards King's Landing, where she might possibly be able to know what was going on, and secretly transfer that information to certain persons who would find it extremely valuable.

If things went as ideal as they possibly could, perhaps she might even repeat her previous words in an audience with the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms while watching her ultimate demise.

_Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me._


	2. Allies Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daenerys and her advisors receive word of the latest news, and begin plotting a plan for retaliation. Things are going differently than she originally planned, and Tyrion receives an unexpected message.

Most of her allies were gone. The loss of Yara Greyjoy's fleet at the hands of her uncle Euron had been the first blow from the Queen, and Daenerys found herself tolerating the rule of Cersei Lannister less and less with every passing moment. Word from the Unsullied had just reached Dragonstone, and though the prospect of conquest over the Lannister's economic power had been mostly crushed, their hold on Casterly Rock was still a valuable position to be held in the Westerlands.

But this was not enough. Negotiations with Jon Snow, the King in the North, must progress more quickly, communication with Grey Worm and his troops established and a new plan constructed. This much Daenerys clearly relayed to her remaining Council members as she paced around the stone map of Westeros that sat in the conference chambers overlooking the shores of Blackwater Bay.

"What I need are more allies," she spoke clearly, posture unfailingly straight as her gaze moved towards the spot marked King's Landing. "Cersei has taken the Iron Islands, Dorne, and as we're now hearing, the Tyrells. Half the forces who pledged their allegiance to me have perished." Even with three fully-grown dragons and every Dothraki soldier at her command, Daenerys knew that she was quickly losing her advantage at sea. They would have to plan for retaliation another way.

"As far as I can tell, my sister will keep the Greyjoys alive; she too is lacking in political acclaim, and without Houses Baratheon and Tyrell she will be depending on both a large degree of cunning as well as the remainder of those who remain loyal to House Lannister." The thought caused Tyrion to momentarily cease his pacing as he quickly reasoned through recent events, and he looked to his Queen for her thoughts on the matter.

"Then we will take them back," Daenerys answered quietly. "What about the Starks? Has there been any word from Jon Snow on a potential alliance?"

Tyrion gave a brief nod. "I spoke to him briefly yesterday; it seems he is considering it. Based on what I've heard from Lord Varys and Ser Davos, the mining of dragonglass is going well- and if he is still the man I knew, he will not abandon his purpose for traveling here without a compromise nor the prospect of an alliance."

"The greater problem now seems to be centered around King's Landing," Varys supplied with a nod at Tyrion's words. "For years the Crown has been in debt under King Robert Baratheon, and I suspect there has been little done to ameliorate that until now. With the death of Olenna Tyrell, Highgarden must name a successor to protect their wealth lest Cersei and her brother seek to claim it for their own. At this point, with all this feuding going on, the Iron Bank is going to put their faith in whichever ruler can restore that wealth to the Seven Kingdoms. We don't want that to be either of the Lannisters." 

With the exception of Tyrion, of course. That in itself had been established, and he no longer took much offense in the statement.

"Then we must find a way to influence any remaining potential allies, quickly."

Presently, a knock on the door interrupted the three negotiators, and Missandei entered quickly, bearing a small scroll which she offered to Tyrion, a subtle hint of concern written across her features. "I apologize for the interruption, Your Grace. Lord Tyrion, a raven came bearing a message for you, from Casterly Rock."

 

"I refuse." 

To say Daenerys was livid was an understatement. She hid her emotions well under a poised, collected exterior which belied her concern for her dearest companions, her penchance for philanthropy, and most of all her ambitions to reclaim her birthright. Her resentment at her father or her brother's treatments towards her in the past and how they were a foundation for distrust above all else.

But _this_ \- contact from the man who had killed her father, Aerys Targaryen, by piercing him through the back with his own sworn sword- was the last thing she had expected. 

"Your Grace," Tyrion began in a placating manner, "I am not saying my brother is a good man. His actions may be hard to trust on the surface but at least to me, he has been one of the only people to treat me well, and fairly, besides those under your rule. If it is true he freed Lady Tyrell in private disregard of Queen Cersei's command, then there must be some underlying purpose that we have yet to discover." He had to admit, receiving contact from Jaime was most certainly unexpected. Of course, they had never hated each other, and his brother had freed him from imprisonment more than once- but after the death of their father, Tywin, by his hand, all conversation had stopped. Until today.

"Underlying purpose."

Daenerys turned from the window, eyeing her Hand with intense distrust that was directed not upon him, but upon the scroll Tyrion still held in his hand. "Your _brother_ , Jaime Lannister, betrayed my father and _killed him_ in open rebellion of his actions. A mad and unjust king, but a king and a father nevertheless, and you are telling me that he would betray his own sister the same way as well?"

Tyrion shook his head in deep thought. "No. Jaime has always been loyal to his family, albeit in questionable ways, but the survival of House Lannister is his foremost interest. With his reassignment from the Kingsguard, he would have been named Tywin's heir to Casterly Rock, which must be how Cersei's plans are moving so quickly. But even he questions her methods. I can personally attest to that." 

The message had been cryptic enough in nature that he recognized Jaime's need for secrecy in the matter. Should he have been discovered, he did not want to know what Cersei might dare to do next. The destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor and his nephew, King Tommen's death had affected Tyrion deeply despite his recent lack of attachment to Westeros. It was clear to him that the Queen was escalating, and that was never a good thing. Everything Jaime had stood for in the past, saving King's Landing from the wrath of wildfire, would have been negated by Cersei's lone actions.

"Even if your brother's intentions are true, how far is he willing to go?"

Daenerys took Tyrion's counsel into consideration, noting this particular relationship with interest. The latter pondered the question carefully, poring over the message once again. Even if it appeared to the public that the Lannisters had taken control over Highgarden, the fact that Lady Olenna had survived would allow her to name any of the lesser members of House Tyrell- extended family, family by marriage and thus alliance- potential successors as well as secret protectors of their seat of power. If it was played well, Cersei would be able to take only a fraction of House Tyrell's true wealth; the remainder would give them additional leverage and support.

That in itself was the most curious to think of. 

"Short of going mad, as far as he can. Cersei is looking to rid the Seven Kingdoms of anyone who opposes her; Jaime has a more... strategic approach, shall we say."

"Do you trust him?" Daenerys asked simply. She had no reason to trust the man yet, but perhaps, looking back at her own actions towards family, towards those who worked against her... perhaps she could give him an opportunity to prove himself.

There was a poignant pause in the room as Tyrion carefully constructed his answer. There had to be a rift between loyalties towards Cersei and those towards the late Tywin Lannister, especially when it came to things that either of them considered "the right thing" (after all, Cersei and her father had never agreed on things). Otherwise, there would be no need of these covert operations. But nevertheless, despite all, his answer remained.

"I do, Your Grace."

He received an understanding nod in return. "Then you will send a reply, and we shall await his."


End file.
